In September when my rector told me what pastoral work
I would be doing this year, I did not imagine that it would be so difficult and
enriching.
I was asked to teach catechism in the St. Rufino
Parish, the cathedral of Assisi. However, I did not expect the additional
request, made by the parish priest, that I lead the post-confirmation group for
adolescents. I was given the responsibility of guiding this group of
young boys and girls, with the help of a co-teacher, in a journey of faith,
illuminated and strengthened by the sacrament of confirmation that they had
recently received.
We involved these adolescents in fixing up the rooms given
us by the parish priest for our activities. We wanted to create a space just
for them: a large carpet to cover the pavement in order to offer comfort and to
make our meetings as informal as possible. We also designated one room to be
the “screaming room:” when someone is angry or stressed-out they can enter and
let out a deep shout or scream to release some of their tension.
The most difficult part was developing a program to
follow throughout the year. Not having ever had an experience of this kind I
asked the advice of at least 10 different people, my confreres and lay people;
I read around a dozen books about leading small groups as well as various catechetical
programs from “Catholic Action” and World Youth Day… I also asked the young people themselves to write out
topics that they would like to discuss as well as questions they have that they
find difficult to share with others their own age. In this way we could
research the answers together.
The goal was to construct relationships, starting with
the young people themselves, seeking to reach them where they are at, in their
daily life of school and family. We hoped to help draw out their thoughts,
their point of view about aspects of life that are important for them and that
at times even cause them to suffer. This seemed like a good premise, a good
starting point, but I had not calculated a fundamental truth: that you can
really only learn to do something like this through experience and often
through failure. No matter how good a plan may seem when it is written out or
in your mind, reality has its own dynamics that don’t always reflect your
project.
I almost always return home after these meetings,
aware that I have accomplished only a tiny part of what I had hoped to
communicate in the meeting. It seems as if these young people’s minds are
completely occupied with other things and that they are not at all interested
in the topics we are discussing.
And yet meeting after meeting the group becomes
stronger, a more cohesive unit. Some of the adolescents begin to open up and
share their experiences and deep reflections. They begin to show more interest.
We often talk about friendship and its various dynamics. For this reason we
chose together to name the group “Friends.”
I am happy to be able to take part in this journey
with these young people, to accompany them for this moment in time. It is an
experience that stretches me. I often feel that my work is useless but in other
moments I am surprised to discover hidden fruit, unexpected results. I
continually need to learn to trust in Him, who is the only one capable of
reaching hearts. On this path I am learning to be a teacher (even if this title
seems a little exaggerated in my case!), a friend, a big brother…
For as long as we continue this journey together with
joy and simplicity, finding support in one another, this group will remain a
group of “Friends!”
A brother from the community
No comments:
Post a Comment